IPL 2018: Wanted to Get Sandeep Lamichhane Discreetly, Says DD CEO Hemant Dua

After the end of the second day of the mega auctions of IPL 2018, Delhi Daredevils might have had an additional million followers due to the purchase of first ever Nepalese cricketer, Sandeep Lamichanne into their ranks.

The CEO of Delhi Daredevils, Hemant Dua recently revealed that they were secretly hoping to buy the spinner without being aloud about their intentions.

Also Read: IPL 2018: Five Players who Returned to their First IPL Team

Dua further claimed they have been tracking the 20-year old since the Hong Kong Sixes tournament in Kowloon and subsequently in the U-19 World Cup of 2016 in Bangladesh.

Assistant coach Shridharan Sriram and Dua himself were present during Sandeep Lamichanne’s trial which was scheduled a fortnight back at the ground in Dwarka in New Delhi.

Unfortunately, overnight rains affected the pitch, and the management could not conduct Sandeep’s trial in the desired location.

“We then had no option but to take him to an Indoor Sports hub in Gurgaon. The people out there were not ready to permit us to use the balls taken by us as it was there facility. We somehow managed to convince them and made Sandeep bowl. We recorded it on our cell phones. He could effortlessly turn the ball both ways with an effective doosra,” claimed Hemant Dua according to The Indian Express.

While referring to the Nepalese cricketer as an ‘uncut diamond’, Dua stated,

“He was first tracked during the Hong Kong Sixes tournament in Kowloon and also he was impressive during the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016. We never revealed our interest as we wanted to get him discreetly not because he is from Nepal but because he is a talented cricketer.”

Dua also had a word or two on the acquisition of Victorian swashbuckler, Glenn Maxwell, this year on their roster.

“We always wanted Maxwell and had a specific budget allocated for him as we had for each player. Also, we never had doubts about his potential as a match-winner. One must remember before he became a star, the first IPL franchise to sign him up was Daredevils. So it’s like a homecoming for him,” quipped the CEO of GMR Sports.

Maxwell inconsistency has led him to face the axe in the Australian side but the DD think tank believes Maxi has the perfect mentor in fellow Australian Ricky Ponting for guidance.

“And Maxwell for me is like that boat whose sail needs to capture the wind to sail long way forward. For Maxwell, Ricky is the man, who can get the best out of him. We at Daredevils are pretty confident about it,” concluded Hemant Dua.